1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a technique permitting a probe to be easily formed and testing to be made at great reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit is formed in a structure in which as shown in FIG. 18, a through-hole 2 is formed to penetrate an insulating substrate 1 made of e.g. polyimide or glass so that the through-hole 2 electrically connects one surface to the other surface. The through-hole 2 is plated to form a wiring 3 connect the one surface of the substrate 1 to the other surface thereof.
On the one surface, a probe for contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit is made as a metallic bump 4 of nickel and such like by e.g. plating. At a position on the wiring 3 on the other surface which is opposite to the position where the metallic bump 4 is formed, an electrode 5 for inputting/outputting an electric signal is formed by a solder bump or anisotropic conductive rubber. The probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit has been improved in various forms, and the related arts are disclosed in JP-A-10-90307 and JP-A-10-111315.
In the case that the substrate 1 is made of a polyimide film, a conventional probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit is defective in that it generates misalignment in high temperature testing because of a large difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the polyimide film and the semiconductor integrated circuit, thereby deteriorating the reliability of the testing. The conventional probe card is also defective in that in order to form the metallic bump 4 having a certain height as a probe, plural times of plating must be carried out because a sufficient height cannot be made when plating is made only once, thereby increasing the number of steps in the manufacturing process and complicating the process.
Since each metallic bump 4 and each electrode 5 are formed at opposite positions with respect to the substrate, when there is a difference in the height between the metallic bumps 4 and the electrodes 5, the metallic bumps 4 are not brought into contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit at some positions. This deteriorates the reliability of testing.
The present invention has been accomplished in order to solve the problems described above, and intends to provide a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit which can be easily manufactured and can test the semiconductor integrated circuit with great reliability, and a method of manufacturing such a probe card.
According to first aspect of the invention, A probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions on the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises an insulating substrate defining a plurality of convex portions on a surface thereof, and conductive film depositing on the surface of the convex portions of the insulating substrate to form the plurality of probes.
Second aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein an uppermost layer of the conductive film is made of tungsten film.
According to third aspect of the invention a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions on the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises:
an insulating substrate defining a plurality of concave portions; and
a plurality of the conductive members embedded in the concave portions to protrude upper ends of the conductive members from an upper surface of the insulating substrate, thereby to form the plurality of the probes.
According to fourth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises:
an insulating substrate defining a plurality of through-holes; and
a plurality of conductive members embedded in the plurality of through-holes,
wherein one end of the conducive members contacting with the semiconductor integrated circuit is protruded from an upper surface of the insulating substrate.
Fifth aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the fourth aspect of the invention, further comprising an electrode adapted to input/output an electric signal, the electrode formed on a surface different from a side of the plurality of probes formed.
Sixth aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the probes are formed to have a surface coarseness of 0.3 xcexcm or less.
Seventh aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the probes are formed to have an angle in a range of 15 to 35 degree between a contacted surface of the semiconductor integrated circuit and a surface of the probes when the probes are brought into contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit.
According to eighth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probes formed on one surface of the insulating substrate;
through-holes formed to pass through the insulating substrate at positions which are different from positions of the probes so as to electrically connect the probes to side of the other surface of the insulating substrate which is different from one surface formed the probes, respectively;
electrodes each formed on each of the through-holes, adapted to input/output the electric signal,
wherein each of relationships of relative positions between each of the probes and each of the through-holes connected to each of the probes are the same.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the plurality of probes formed on one surface of the insulating substrate; and
through-holes formed to pass through the insulating substrate so as to electrically connect the probes to side of the other surface of the insulating substrate with each other, which is different from one surface formed the probes, respectively, each of the through-holes having sectional shape in an approximately U-shaped,
wherein each of concave sides of the sectional shape of the through-holes face to positions of the probes
According to tenth aspect of the invention, A probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probes formed on one of surfaces of the insulating substrate;
through-holes formed to pass through the insulating substrate at positions which is different from positions of the probes so as to electrically connect probes to side of the other surface of the insulating substrate which is different from one surface formed the probes, respectively; and
wirings formed on one surface of the insulating substrate where the probes are formed, to connect the probes to the through-holes with each other, respectively,
wherein all longitudinal directions of the wirings are formed perpendicular to a direction of scrubbing the probe card.
Eleventh aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the invention, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.
According to twelfth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing the probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the method comprises the steps of increasing temperature to transition temperature of the glass substrate, and press molding the glass substrate by a mold.
According to thirteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the twelfth aspect of the invention, further comprises the step of pressing a pressing tool having a higher hardness than that of the mold onto the mold to form a plurality of desired concave portions. According to fourteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 13, further comprises the steps of filling the concave portions of the mold with the glass substrate to form convex portions on the glass substrate, and forming conductive film on the convex portions of the glass substrate by CVD technique or PVD technique to form the probes.
According to fifteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the twelfth or thirteenth aspect of the invention, further comprises the steps of:
forming a mold having a plurality of concave portions;
arranging conductive members in concave portions, respectively;
press molding the glass substrate by the mold to embed part of the conductive members in the glass substrate and to protrude the part of the conductive members from the glass substrate so as to form the probes.
According to sixteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the twelfth to fifteenth aspect of the invention, further comprises the steps of polishing a surface of the glass substrate which is different from a surface thereof where the probes are formed, to decrease the thickness of the glass substrate into a prescribed thickness, and forming through-holes at desired positions of the glass substrate.
According to seventeenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, further comprises a step of pressing the glass substrate until each of the conductive members penetrates the glass substrate.
According to eighteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, further comprises the steps of polishing one end of each of the conductive members so that lengths of the conducive members protruding from the glass substrate are uniform, to form the plurality of probes, and polishing the glass substrate and the conductive members so that the other end of each of the conductive members is flush with a surface of the glass substrate.
According to nineteenth aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the sixteenth to eighteenth aspect of the invention, the step of rounding a surface of one end of each the conductive member protruding from the glass substrate by polishing or wet etching to form the probes to form the surfaces of the probes according to the seventh aspect of the invention.